It was only after Magnus's right arm had fully regenerated, the flesh knitting back together with a slow, pulsating with life, that he finally began to move. His gaze drifted over the devastation below—a smoldering hellscape where the very ground seemed to ripple from the lingering effects of his attack. Flames licked the fractured earth, and the air shimmered with residual heat.
Wow. I was expecting that strike to have a big effect, but I never thought it would be this catastrophic. It's on a completely different level from any of my other attacks, even when compared to my elementrix magic. And to think, this was all just the energy my fist generated from traveling at not even one percent the speed of light.
With that thought, a sharp, piercing pain tore through Magnus's chest. His muscles tensed involuntarily, and he winced, a low groan escaping his lips. Instinctively, his hand shot up to cover his mouth as a violent cough wracked his body. When he pulled his hand away, his palm was smeared with crimson.
Blood.
Hmm, looks like I've hit a hard cap for now. Even if it isn't my absolute limit, this is as far as I can push it.
That strike he'd just launched was, by far, the most powerful move in his arsenal—his ultimate attack, at least for now. But even with all its destructive force, it wasn't anywhere near the true limit of what he knew he could achieve. In his mind, he could visualize something far faster: a punch traveling at a true percentage of the speed of light. The energy unleashed by such an attack would be incomprehensible, the sheer force capable of leveling entire landscapes.
But imagining it was one thing; surviving it was another.
Magnus wouldn't attempt it. He couldn't, not yet.
If he did, the energy would rip his body apart, leaving nothing behind. Right now, he could mentally handle the visualization of forming roughly a thousand mana barriers at once, and that was with the Command Console's assistance. That had been his safety net—those barriers had been tightly wrapped around his body to keep his own attack from obliterating him. But even with those defenses in place, every single barrier had shattered in the aftermath, disintegrating under the sheer force of the blow. The aftershocks alone had still managed to rupture his organs, and the recoil from the impact had mangled the arm he'd struck with.
That was why he had been floating motionless for the past few minutes. He wasn't just admiring the view—he had been healing from the rebound.
In the end, I'm limited by my own mind once again... Jeez, I'm starting to feel like my potential looks like one of those flat-topped acacia trees—always spreading wide but never reaching any higher.
It wasn't a lack of ideas that held him back; in fact, he had countless ideas for new abilities and new ways to grow stronger. But every time he thought he'd found a breakthrough, the mental strain of managing such complex spells or techniques brought him crashing into his own limits. No matter what methods he used—whether it was through magic, mana artifices, or even the Command Console itself—he always reached a cap, confined by the limits of his own mental capacity.
And the most frustrating part was that there seemed to be no way to permanently enhance his mind no matter how much he searched. Sure, there were magical means to enhance mental capacity, but the Command Console was an obstacle in this regard. When it came to using mana artifices linked to his mind, the process was simple enough: he would halt everything related to the Command Console, establish the link, and then reactivate it. The Console only blocked things that interfered with his mind, so once the connection with the artifice was formed, the Command Console treated it as a simple extension of his mind.
The same principle applied to mentally controlled spells. But spells that enhanced the mind were an entirely different issue. They didn't form a connection with the mind; instead, they acted as an external force, passively boosting the mind's capabilities. It would work—until the moment Magnus activated the Command Console. After that, it would block any attempt at mind enhancement, nullifying the effects of the spell.
So that meant until he found a way to permanently increase his mental capacity—without relying on external forces—there was only one path forward for Magnus. He would have to continue branching out, finding new methods and techniques he hadn't thought of before, and pushing them to their limits.
And when he hit a ceiling, he would have to find a new avenue to explore. That was his only option, at least until he could find a way to break through his greatest limitation.
Well, at the very least, I can consider my little experiment a complete success. Though if I plan to use it in an actual fight, I should probably dial back on the speed a little bit. As for the name... hmm, what do you think, Basker?
[Well, considering that Master is utilizing the Command Console to bypass many of the typical limits of acceleration, how about 'Velocity Breaker'?]
Magnus raised an eyebrow as he mulled over the name for a second.
Huh. Yeah, I think I can get behind that. Though... it does sound awfully familiar. Like an ability from a show, I used to watch back on Earth.
[Apologies. I drew inspiration from your memories since I don't have many of my own to work with.]
Eh, it's fine.
With the name settled, Magnus shifted his attention outward, his gaze drifting from the smoldering crater he had created to the smoke-filled horizon. Somewhere beyond the haze was the village, though the thick plumes of smoke obscured his view.
Seraline should've cleared the monsters on and around the walls by now. Especially since I took care of the ones flooding in from the forest. Now, we just need to deal with the fires... and whatever's still inside the village.
Magnus started walking toward the village, though he remained floating several meters in the air as if stepping on an invisible platform.
Meanwhile, back at the eastern wall, Magnus's assessment was spot on. The base of the wall was littered with the bodies of fallen monsters, piled so high they formed small mounds of flesh and gore. Arrows jutted out from the corpses like grim markers, while others bore deep slashes and puncture wounds, their blood still trickling onto the ground.
The guards—at least those who had survived and weren't too injured to move—were hauling the bodies of any monsters that had managed to scale the wall, tossing them over the edge to join the grisly heaps below.
On one section of the wall, Captain Elip sat slumped against the parapet, catching his breath. He sat in silence until one of the guards shouted in his direction.
"Captain Elip! Captain Elip! Something's heading this way! I think it's the person responsible for the explosion!" At that, Elip jumped to his feet, pushing his weariness aside. He hurried over to the guard, who had been using a telescope to spot the figure. But Elip didn't need a scope to see him. Squinting through the smoke, he made out a figure approaching from the distance. The thick smoke obscured some of the details, but as the figure drew closer, Elip's eyes widened.
The person was walking through the air, floating just below the height of the wall. What caught Elip's attention, however, was his appearance.
They... they look so young. Barely an adult. There's no way someone that young could have launched such a powerful spell. No... it must be some kind of illusion, a spell to make themselves look younger. I've heard Master-level mages sometimes do that.
But before Elip could dwell on the thought, Magnus's reached the wall. He climbed the air itself as if ascending an invisible staircase, each step bringing him closer to the top of the wall. The other guards had taken notice, and by the time Magnus reached the edge, a small crowd had gathered, including several captains from nearby sections.
There was a brief silence as Magnus stepped onto the wall, both sides staring at each other in quiet observation. The tension hung in the air for a moment, neither side sure of what to say. Before Magnus could break the silence, Elip spoke up, his voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you very much for assisting us! If not for you, we would likely all be dead!" Elip announced, lowering his head in a respectful bow. Magnus blinked, caught off guard by the gesture. The armored captain's sudden show of respect wasn't something he had been expecting.
"Uh, no problem?" Magnus replied. After that, Elip straightened up and introduced himself.
"My name is Elip Vacumu. I'm one of the captains in charge of the eastern wall."
"I see. Well, my name is Magnus Wright. I'm a student from Takerth Academy, here to assist with your monster issue at your request," Magnus responded. The guards who had been fighting alongside Elip weren't overly surprised by this revelation, as Elip had hinted at Magnus's identity. However, for many of the others gathered around, the news was a shock. Takerth Academy was not just any school—it was one of the Ten Great Magic Academies, institutions so old they were recorded in ancient history across the world.
"Hmm, I remember the village elders sending a request to Takerth for help a while back," one of the captains standing behind Elip muttered aloud, his eyes narrowing in thought.
"But to think they actually sent someone this powerful... they truly live up to their reputation," another captain added, shaking his head in disbelief. The surrounding guards were even more vocal with their amazement.
"Wow! If he's from Takerth, he must be a genuine mage!" One guard exclaimed.
"I bet he's the one who made that wall of ice! I never knew magic could be that powerful!" As the guards spoke amongst one another, Magnus's statement caused Elip to suck in a deep breath, having a similar reaction to the other captains. However the reason behind their reactions where different than the amazed guards.
So he really is a student... Does that mean he is as young as he looks? But how can someone so young wield that kind of power? Are all students from the Ten Great Magic Academies like this?
Before Elip could spiral further into his thoughts, he felt a sharp nudge from one of the other captains behind him.
The man leaned in and whispered urgently, "Elip, what's wrong with you? He asked you a question."
Elip snapped back to reality, blinking in confusion.
"Oh, forgive me. What did you ask?" He stammered
Magnus waved it off as he repeated himself, "I was asking if you've seen my partner. She uses a spear; she should have been helping you clear the monsters around the walls."
Oh, that must have been the figure I saw earlier, the one who cut down all those monsters.
As Elip pieced it together in his head, a few guards who had directly witnessed Seraline in action and been saved by her figured it out as well.
So not only did they send such a powerful mage, but a knight as well... It almost sounds too good to be true.
This time, though, Elip didn't let himself get lost in his thoughts. He opened his mouth to reply, about to admit he didn't know exactly where Seraline was, when a sudden commotion broke out nearby. Everyone, including Magnus, turned to look toward the source. A captain was pushing his way through the gathered crowd of guards.
"Move aside!" The man shouted, cutting a path through the group as the soldiers stepped back to let him pass. It was the captain who had been trying to hold off the snail monsters from entering the village.
When his eyes landed on Elip, he smirked and extended his hand. Elip recognized him immediately and returned the smirk, clasping the man's hand in a firm handshake.
"Good to see you're still alive after all that mess," the captain said, his voice rough but relieved.
"A few close calls, but I made it out," Elip replied before gesturing to Magnus.
"And we have our friend here—and his partner—to thank for that." Elip was about to introduce Magnus, but the captain beside him spoke first, lowering his head respectfully, much like Elip had done earlier.
"You must be Magnus. My name is Sonyer," the captain said.
"I already told your partner this, but I think I speak for everyone when I say you two have saved all our lives. We're eternally grateful." His words were met with firm nods from the surrounding guards, a silent agreement that resonated deeply among them. Magnus chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, we definitely weren't expecting your village to be under attack when we arrived, but I'm glad we could help." Elip frowned at that and let out a deep sigh.
"None of us expected it either. We've had monster problems like everywhere else, but a few days ago they started flooding in from the north in waves. We had never seen numbers like that before, and as you can see, we couldn't hold for long," Elip explained with a hint of frustration in his voice.
"I see," Magnus murmured under his breath.
"Yeah, well, we can talk more about that later. We've still got a crisis to handle," Sonyer said to Elip before he turned his attention back to Magnus.
"Your partner has already headed to the western side of the village. She asked me to tell you that she's dealing with the monsters that had made it inside through the hole in the western wall. In the meantime, she wants you to focus on putting out the fires." Hearing that, Magnus nodded in understanding.
"Ah, so she's already on it. Alright then. Did she mention anything else?" Magnus asked, with Soyner nodding before turning to address the other captains.
"While these two handle the monsters and the fires, she wants those of us who are able, to head into the village and focus on recovery and protection. Our goal is to gather all the villagers and move them to the center of the village. It'll be easier to protect them that way." The plan was straightforward but effective. It earned immediate nods from the captains, while the guards who were still fit enough to fight responded with cheers.
They were all exhausted, but Magnus and Seraline's appearance had relit their morale. They truly had a chance to save their village now.
"Well, I guess I'd better get to it then," Magnus said casually before leaping several meters into the air. From there, he had already had a pretty clear view of the village. But then he jumped again, this time using nothing but the air as a springboard. He launched himself like a missile, causing a shockwave as he rocketed over a hundred meters into the sky at an angle.
The captains and guards who had volunteered to help didn't just stare in awe for long—they quickly sprang into action. The guards rushed down the stairs leading into the village, while the captains took a more direct route, leaping onto the nearby rooftops to cover ground faster.
Meanwhile, from his high vantage point, Magnus could see almost the entire village beneath him, aside from the areas obscured by thick columns of smoke and the sections hidden behind large tree trunks. His eyesight wasn't anywhere near as great as a knight's, but it was good enough to confirm that there weren't any villagers fleeing in the streets. It seemed most had gone into hiding. On the other hand, the invading monsters were still visible here and there. There didn't seem to be a lot of them, so Magnus guessed Seraline had been working fast. But they had still spread across the western side of the village.
Not only that, but a large section of the western village was completely scorched. It wasn't like the scattered, charred remains he could see everywhere else—this part had been burned to the ground, leveled almost flat.
Hmm. Well, I can look into that and deal with the monsters later; for now, I have to take care of the fires.
Magnus's eyes shifted from the creatures to the roaring flames that consumed the village in the distance. The fire had been spreading rapidly, unchecked, and nearly half the village was ablaze. Even from this height, Magnus could feel the heat radiating from the inferno. Buildings had already begun collapsing, their structures weakened by the flames, while others—partially made of stone—stood charred and blackened.
Narrowing his eyes, Magnus waved his hand to his side, and within moments, he visualized something into reality. Mana began condensing into droplets of water that quickly grew into large, dense spheres. The sheer scale of the magic display didn't go unnoticed. The guards making their way through the village caught sight of the spheres forming in the sky, while the captains, with their unique senses, felt the massive shift in the natural flow of mana around them.
"Huh, what's that?"
"Is it the mage?"
"Amazing..." Elip mouthed as he dashed across a rooftop, his eyes locked on Magnus. As a knight trained in the military, he had never witnessed magic like this, let alone something of this magnitude.
"Alright, let's focus on the more intense fires first," Magnus muttered, flicking his finger. At his command, the hundreds of condensed water spheres shot through the air in perfect synchrony, heading toward the western part of the village. Their flight was precise—each sphere had its own target, none colliding or overlapping, a testament to Magnus's control over them. But he didn't send them crashing directly into the flames.
Instead, when the water spheres reached just a few dozen meters above the burning buildings, Magnus snapped his fingers. In an instant, every sphere exploded simultaneously, like bombs detonating in unison. A shadow blanketed a large portion of the village as water rained down in torrents. It was as if a hurricane had descended upon the flames. The artificial downpour doused the exposed fires with a single, powerful sweep, while the flood of water surged into buildings, snuffing out any hidden embers.
Seeing the effectiveness of his efforts, Magnus gave a nod of satisfaction. The roaring flames in that area had been silenced, the smoke beginning to thin out as steam rose from the drenched streets and buildings.
"Perfect," Magnus muttered, snapping his fingers once more as a vast amount of mana condensed in the air around him.
Now, let's move on to the next section.